The History Behind BMW® Motorcycles

One of the world’s leading motorcycle manufacturers for decades has been BMW®. This German company was initially founded over a century ago to produce aircraft engines, but they’ve turned their attention to many other motor vehicles, including a variety of motorcycles. Read on to learn more about the fascinating history of BMW® motorcycles.

Motorcycle Production

BMW Motorrad was founded in Munich, Germany, in 1916. Initially, the company produced aircraft engines, but by 1923, BMW released its first motorcycle at the Berlin Automobile Show to great acclaim. The bike was designed by company engineer Max Fritz. Innovation has been the name of the game for BMW since its advent, with more powerful and faster motorcycles being produced all the time.

Around the Racetrack

BMW® motorcycles quickly became renowned for their high speed and agility, which led to them appearing on the German racing circuit in 1924. In fact, bikes made by BMW won five German Championships in the 500 ccm category.

Soon, it was time for world record breaking. Ernst Henne, a competitive motorcyclist, used a BMW motorcycle to break the speed record, which he did on September 19, 1929, reaching a speed of 216 kph/134 mph. Eight years later, on November 29, 1937, Henne broke the record again at an incredible speed of 279.5 kph/173.6 mph. Of course, he did this with a BMW bike!

When you’re ready to check out a fantastic selection of new and used BMW® motorcycles in Colorado, come see us at our Colorado Springs dealership location. Colorado Springs Powersports is proud to serve our customers in the greater Denver metro area, as well as the cities of Castle Rock and Pueblo, CO.